A Date With Destiny
by The Goddess Bastet
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there somebody else who's just what she needs. M/A
1. A Gift From the Divine Powers

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there's somebody who's just what she needs. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
A/N : Well, some of my reviewers had asked for a prequel to show how Max and Alec got together, so here it is.  
  
Chapter 1: A Gift from the Divine Powers  
  
  
  
"How could I have been so stupid?" She was working herself into a state.  
  
"It's a gift unto you from the Divine Powers." He grinned as she just glared at him.  
  
"Relax, Max! Everything's fine!" He was getting exasperated with her.  
  
"I almost killed him, Alec! How is that supposed to make everything 'fine'?"  
  
"It wasn't your fault that his exo-skeleton short-circuited."  
  
"But I shouldn't have jumped..."  
  
"'Leapt' is more like it!"  
  
"Shut up! I shouldn't have leapt forward to catch him!"  
  
"You acted on impulse. You were trained to react with speed. And luckily, you reacted to your reaction just as fast, because you pulled away just in the nick of time." He chuckled, thinking about the rather noisy thump as Logan hit the floor.  
  
"It was too close! If I had touched him, we wouldn't have had the antigen, and then he would've di..." Alec cut her off.  
  
"But you didn't, and you'll be more careful next time, and when you find that cure, you'll stop coming and bothering me with your whining!"  
  
"I'm so sick of being careful." she grumbled. He laughed.  
  
"But you're never sick of whining. Come on." He grabbed his car keys off the table and opened his apartment door  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"You need some cheering up, and there's only one place for you to do that."  
  
"WHERE are we going, Alec?"  
  
"Just shut up and follow me!" To make himself clear, he took her arm. Max was indignant.  
  
"I'm not a child; you don't need to hold my hand." He continued to drag her along down the stairs.  
  
"On the contrary, Max. You're worse than any child that I've ever observed. Not only do you whine for what you can't have, you pout when you don't get your own way!"  
  
"I do NOT!"  
  
"See, you're doing it right now."  
  
"Shut up." He grinned, and was about to make another comment when she spoke again.  
  
"Do I really pout that much?" He looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Well, yeah...a bit. I think it's cute."  
  
"Cute?" Max wasn't sure if she liked being thought of as 'cute'.  
  
"Yeah, I mean what guy can resist lips like yours?"  
  
"You do."  
  
"Is that bothering you?" he asked with a smile.  
  
"I'm not getting into that, Alec. Just tell me where you're taking me."  
  
"Just get into the car."  
  
"I want to know!"  
  
"And I want to surprise you! Why are you always such a nag?"  
  
"Fine! But wherever we're going, you're paying." She got into the car.  
  
"I thought that the modern woman likes to be totally independant of the male specie."  
  
"There are some traditions that just cannot be broken. The guy paying for the date is one of them."  
  
"So, is this a date now?"  
  
"Alec. Just shut up and drive."  
  
"Fine. But for the record, paying won't be an issue. I scored a pretty amount of cash from a mobster yesterday. And before you start, I really don't need to hear the 'Stealing is wrong' lecture."  
  
"I wasn't going to give one. You stole from a baddie."  
  
"Even if he was a kindly old farmer on his way to the market, I wouldn't have let you of all people tell me what I did was wrong. I hear that you were quite the cat - burgler. I mean, you even stole from Logan. That's how you two met in the first place."  
  
Alec instantly regretted bringing up Logan's name. The look of dejection had re-entered Max's features, but it quickly disappeared into a grin.  
  
"Yeah. He caught me, and I ended up diving out his window."  
  
"Real subtle, Max!"  
  
"Hey! I caught him being Eyes Only first!"  
  
"That's a really mature argument, Max. I swear! You belong in a playground! Speaking of which, we've arrived at our destination."  
  
Max looked out of her window and gasped in delight.  
  
Brilliantly colored lights flashed as she heard people chatting and children squealing with laughter as they whizzed around on their respective rides or gobbled down toffee apples and cotton candy. The atmosphere was infinitely cheerful - not common in Post-Apocolyptic America.  
  
"The fairground!"  
  
  
  
A/N: Well? I had such fun writing this! Must be the joy of the start of a school holiday. Please review! 


	2. Wheel of Fortune

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there's somebody who's just what she needs. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
A/N I'm just making this story up as I go along. There's no master plan at all. Let's just say that I'm putting this story in Fate's hands.  
  
Chapter 2: Wheel of Fortune  
  
  
  
Max and Alec laughed as they stepped out from the 'Rollercoaster of Death'. All the other passengers had stumbled and staggered their way to the exit, but they weren't affected.  
  
"What a way to end off the year!"  
  
"You're kidding! I forgot! Is New Year's really tonight?  
  
"Yep, in about an hour! Why do you think it's so packed? So, Max, what do you want to go on now?"  
  
"Lets give it a break. I want some ice-cream."  
  
"I'll also get Cokes for both of us. I heard that chocolate can cheer up any depressed female, so you're having a chocolate sundae."  
  
"Am I? Good thing for you, because that just happens to be my favorite."  
  
"What can I say? I just know you so well."  
  
"No...you just saw that the chocolate sundae was the cheapest of the lot!"  
  
"Are you calling me cheap?"  
  
"No, I'm calling you a male."  
  
"Whatever. I paid for the tickets, and believe me, they weren't cheap. While you're eating that, I'm gonna go hunting."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Alec pointed to his left.  
  
"There's a shooting booth. I'm gonna try it out."  
  
"Men and their guns!"  
  
"Oh, I forgot. You don't do guns. I always kinda wondered why."  
  
"You wouldn't understand." Max mumbled.  
  
Alec hated to spoil her good mood, so he dropped it. He handed her his can of Coke and picked up the rifle, aimed at the target and shot it bull's-eye - thrice. The crowd applauded as the booth attendant handed him a really large white teddy bear with a red heart for a tummy. Alec looked at it in disgust.  
  
"What am I supposed to do with this? Can't I just get cash?"  
  
"Sorry Sir. No cash prizes. Perhaps you can give it to the lovely lady next to you?"  
  
"Who, her? Max, you want this? Here!" He shoved it into her arms. She was ecstatic.  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
"No problem. By the way, Max - there's ice-cream on your chin."  
  
"Darn! Is it off?" as she frantically tried to wipe it off, only making her face stickier.  
  
He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped it off for her.  
  
"Well, Messy Max, what do you want to do now?"  
  
"Oh look! There's a Wheel of Fortune!"  
  
"A what?"  
  
"You spin the wheel, and it gives you a little slip of paper that supposedly foretells your future...sort of the modern version of the gypsy fortune teller."  
  
"Why don't I just get you a fortune cookie? At least you can enjoy the biscuit while believing absolute rubbish."  
  
"Oh, come on! They're actually pretty accurate!"  
  
Max slipped the money into the slot and turned the wheel. She picked up her slip of paper.  
  
"Your True Love is Nigh."  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
"Your turn, Alec." He rolled his eyes and turned the wheel. He picked up his fortune and read it amd put the slip into his jacket pocket.  
  
"Hey, aren't you gonna tell me?"  
  
"Nope. Come on. I want to see the new year in with the sights of Seattle."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Look up."  
  
Max looked up and smiled.  
  
"The Ferris Wheel?"  
  
"You game?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
They got into a cart, with the teddy between them, and they began to ascend.  
  
"This is the life, Max! I could do this forever. Laying back, looking at the sites from above...to be high up."  
  
"Yeah, the High Place."  
  
"What?"  
  
Max looked like a deer in the headlights.  
  
"Nothing. Just...my brothers and sisters always loved places high up. Especially Ben."  
  
He glanced at her, noticed the sadness in her eyes and changed the subject.  
  
"How is it that this country is starving poor, but there's enough money to maintain a fairground?"  
  
"That's our government for you, Alec."  
  
"But what about the people? They can barely afford the roofs over their heads, but they're dishing out their earnings on an adrenaline rush. Then they complain that they're broke!"  
  
"People might be starving in the Depression, but they're not depressed. They just want a little happiness in their lives. Isn't that why you brought me here?"  
  
"Well, I was just willing to pay hard cash to get you to shut your whining, but whatever makes you feel better..." Max swatted him.  
  
Below them, the crowd began to count down the seconds to the new year.  
  
"10!"  
  
"9!"  
  
"8!"  
  
"7!"  
  
"6!"  
  
"5!"  
  
"4!"  
  
"3!"  
  
"2!"  
  
"1!"  
  
"Happy New Year Alec."  
  
"Happy New Year. Here's to 2022!" and they snapped open their cans of Coke.  
  
The cart came down to the ground and the two stepped out - Max still hugging the teddy bear - which she'd named Kismet.  
  
"I guess we better get home."  
  
They got into the car.  
  
"Alec, you never told me what your fortune read."  
  
"I'll tell you later."  
  
"Any New Year's resolutions?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well...what?"  
  
"I'm going to go after what I want."  
  
"You already do that!"  
  
"There's still something that I'm missing, but by the end of the year, I'll have it. What's yours?"  
  
Max was quiet for a moment, and then she spoke quietly.  
  
"I'm going to fix my life."  
  
"That might take more than the year. Can this New Year's Resolution thing have an indefinite contract?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
They reached Max's apartment, and he surprised her by walking her to her door.  
  
"Ok, Alec, now you've got to tell me!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your fortune. You still haven't told me what it read!"  
  
He took out his slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. She looked at it and then froze.  
  
"Your True Love is Nigh."  
  
"Bye Max."  
  
"Alec!"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks for tonight. I really needed some fun."  
  
"No sweat. 'Night Max."  
  
And then he was gone.  
  
A/N Sorry that this took longer than it should have...I was almost finished, when my family took a weekend vacation to Knysna (South Africa). But I'm back, and I've got a bundle of ideas just swirling in my head. If I get lots of nice reviews, maybe I'll be motivated enough to do something with those ideas. It's really up to you. Oh, if you're wondering what's the significance of the name Kismet...it's Hindi for Destiny. Go figure. 


	3. Open Up

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max moves on. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
Chapter 3: Open Up  
  
"Max! Open up! I know you're in there!" Alec was pounding on her door. He heard her move across the floor.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Open up, will you?. I want to talk to you." There was a long pause, before she unlocked the door and faced him. She was dressed in her red towelling robe and fuzzy slippers.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I just wanted to see if you're alright. Are you going to let me in or not?"  
  
"Not." and she started to close the door. His hand blocked the door from closing.  
  
"Please?" She looked at him in surprise.  
  
"Oh, alright." She stood aside to let him enter and then went to the window to look out.  
  
"We miss you at work - especially since we've been getting overtime!"  
  
"I broke up with Logan. It's over."  
  
Alec sighed.  
  
"I know. OC told me. That's why I'm here."  
  
"Since when do you care?"  
  
When she turned around she found him studying her face.  
  
"You're not crying."  
  
"Should I be?"  
  
"No sign of hysterics."  
  
"I'm fine, Alec. You don't have to check up on me."  
  
"You broke up with him, Max. You can't be fine."  
  
"But I am. And Logan's fine with it too. It just wasn't meant to be. I've thought about it for a long time, and I've decided that it's time to move on with my life. It was on hold for too long. Besides, we're still friends."  
  
"Famous words."  
  
"That's just the way it is. If you can't accept it, then you can go."  
  
"If you're fine, then why are you moping around in your apartment?"  
  
"I'm not moping!"  
  
"When was the last time that you went outside?"  
  
"I've been thinking."  
  
"Regretting?"  
  
"No! I said that I was gonna fix my life, and I did. I'm just getting used to it."  
  
"Max, sorry to burst your little bubble, but your life's still broken."  
  
"Why do you insist that I'm pining away?"  
  
"Because I can see it. You're not coming to work; you're still in your robe and really cute slippers at 2 pm; and you let me into your apartment with hardly any fight. If you're not going to do something about it, then I will. Pack your overnight bag."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We're going for a little camping trip. I suggest that you change into something a little more suitable, and pack something warm, 'cause it looks like it might get a little chilly tonight. A toothbrush might come in handy too. Don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow."  
  
"How long have you been planning this?"  
  
"A while. My stuff's all packed and ready in the car. I've got torches, water, food, radio, cookies..." She cut him off.  
  
"Alec, listen to me. I haven't felt this good in ages! You don't need to babysit me."  
  
"But I was going to have fun with you! I even brought marshmellows to toast on the fire while we tell scary stories!"  
  
"We have jobs to go to."  
  
"You haven't shown up all week! OC's been giving Normal some story involving you, a hospital and Hepatitis, which is the only reason why you're not already canned."  
  
"But you've still got to go."  
  
"Actually, Normal gave me today and tomorrow off so that I can visit my very ill and elderly aunt. Ain't he such a swell guy?"  
  
"He would kiss your ass, if you asked him to. It's become a little disturbing."  
  
"Hey, you're not the one on the receiving end of his lavish affections, so don't you tell me about 'disturbing', missy!"  
  
"Oh lord, you're starting to talk like him!"  
  
"Max, if I end up like Normal, I want your solemn oath as a soldier to shoot me dead. Understood?"  
  
"You have my word."  
  
"Good, now go pack your bag. Make sure that you're wearing good hiking boots."  
  
"Where are we going, exactly."  
  
"You'll see. It's not too far from here."  
  
"You and your surprises! What are we going to sleep in?" asked Max, as she found herself packing as he had asked.  
  
"I thought that you don't sleep. But I have also thoughtfully provided sleeping bags for us both. Just bring a pillow."  
  
"You sure that you got everything? 'Cause I'm gonna kick your ass if we get there and you forgot the matches or something!"  
  
"Matches? Right here in my pocket. See? That's the spirit, Maxie! You're getting excited about this, aren't you? A little camping trip away from Seattle and all the misery and pollution it represents. A little time spent with Mother Nature and the purity of life before mankind's destruction of the Earth. A little time taken out of our schedules to spend with those dearest to us..."  
  
"Alec?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Aw, come on! Max, admit it! I'm important to you aren't I?"  
  
"What kind of a question is that?"  
  
"Don't answer a question with a question."  
  
"You really want an honest answer to that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok. Fine. Although you're a real pain in the ass, you do cheer me up. So, I guess that makes you special. Had enough of the really embarassing confessions yet?"  
  
"Yeah...thanks!"  
  
"Whatever. I'm all set. Let's go."  
  
"Umm...Max?  
  
"What?"  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something? Or it that your usual camping attire?" Alec was laughing hard.  
  
Max looked down and realised that she was still dressed in her robe and slippers. She shot a glare in Alec's direction and went off to change.  
  
A/N This chapter pretty much wrote itself just like the 1st. I had loads of fun, and hopefully so did you. Please review! I think that this fic could turn out to be REALLY long, because it has to cover the whole of 2022. Heck, I could even make it a whole Max/Alec Shipper Season 3 if I wanted to. I doubt that I have enough ideas to cover that far though, so you guys are gonna have to pitch in to help! Remember, the sooner I finish this, the sooner I start with the third part of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. Unless, by that time, you're too sick of Max and Alec and Destiny... 


	4. Into the Woods

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there's somebody who's just what she needs. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
Chapter 4: Into the Woods  
  
  
  
"Here we are!"  
  
"Here?"  
  
"Yeah. Told you it was close by. Nothing fancy - just the woods ouside Seattle. Umm...Max? You okay? You look pale."  
  
All Max saw was Ben. Dead. In these woods. By her hands.  
  
"Max?"  
  
"I'm fine. Let's go."  
  
She followed Alec silently, although all she wanted to do was beg him to take her home.  
  
"This looks like a good spot."  
  
Max just nodded her head without even looking.  
  
"Nobody's around. We can just leave our stuff here. Let's take that hike, Alec."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~***~*~ *~*~*~  
  
  
  
When they returned, it was starting to get dark. Alec had gathered wood while on the hike, and he started to set up the fire. They sat side by side staring at the glowing flame dancing in the still night. The light from the blaze highlighted his face, and Max caught her breath when she looked at him. He looked exactly like Ben. He caught her staring at her and she dropped her gaze in embarrasment. She impaled her marshmellow and held the stick over the fire.  
  
"Hey Max! Scary story time. You first."  
  
Max silently debated with herself about telling him.  
  
"Max?"  
  
She reached a decision.  
  
"Once upon a time there was a nine year old girl. Her name was Max..."  
  
"Hold on. I was asking for a horror story, not the story of your life!"  
  
"They're one and the same, Alec. Now shut up and listen. This is the only time that I'm going to tell you this. Where was I?"Oh. Her name was Max. She had lots of brothers and sisters: Zack, Eva, Jack, Tinga, Brin, Syl, Zane, Jondy, Krit...and Ben."  
  
Alec was finally paying attention  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~***~*~ *~*~*~  
  
  
  
"...and he begged me not to leave him there for Manticore to capture him. So I..."  
  
She looked up and saw Alec's eyes staring at her in utter shock. She took a deep breath and continued.  
  
"So I asked him to tell me the story of the Good Place, and then I broke his neck."  
  
Alec cringed at the mental image.  
  
"You killed him?"  
  
Max's voice was devoid of any emotion. She felt numbed by having to re- live that whole horrible episode of her life.  
  
"I had no choice. If I was in his place, I would've asked the same of him. Anything but Manticore."  
  
"These woods?"  
  
Max nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry, Max."  
  
"Renfro told me that I kill everyone I love. Tinga's dead. Zack killed himself for me, and now he's as good as dead. I'm poison, Alec."  
  
Alec grabbed her arm.  
  
"No. Listen to me Max! You're not poison. Renfro was just being a bitch. You understand? None of it was your fault!"  
  
"Everything was my fault. If I hadn't refused to leave Seattle the first time Zack asked me to, then he wouldn't have had to turn himself in to save my sorry ass! If he hadn't turned himself in for me, then he wouldn't have been bugged. If he hadn't been bugged, Tinga's location wouldn't have been revealed. Tinga wouldn't have had to run, and her family wouldn't have been discovered. She wouldn't have had to turn herself in to save her little boy's life and she wouldn't have ended up dead! Most likely, the attack on Manticore wouldn't have taken place but it would have meant that Zack was alive and well, and I wouldn't have had this stupid virus..."  
  
Alec sighed.  
  
"Max. If you hadn't attacked Manticore, it would still be hunting you down; and the rest of us would still be their captives. Your sister Brin would probably be dead from the Progeria and Ben would have kept on his killing until Manticore got hold of him. Logan would have eventually exposed Manticore anyway and they would have killed us all. If you hadn't let everybody out from the fire, there'd be hundreds dead. You gave us all freedom. Besides, if it wasn't for you and your seizures in the beginning, you guys probably wouldn't have escaped at all. Everything comes back to you Max. The good stuff too. Not just the bad."  
  
"So you're saying that it was all one big plan by some supernatural force?"  
  
"They say that the Fates work in mysterious ways."  
  
"Really? You believe that?"  
  
"Well, not really. But otherwise we wouldn't have met!"  
  
"Oh, I think that Renfro deliberately put you as my breeding partner. Just to rub Ben's death in my face. Mean, nasty, old witch that she was."  
  
"Actually...they kinda set those up before we were born."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The breeding programme was mapped out while they were still playing with our DNA. They decided which partners would produce the best offspring."  
  
"I so did not want to hear that!"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"So, what you're saying is...I was MADE for you?"  
  
"Scary thoughts. Bad mental images. But yeah."  
  
" I used to make fun of the old fashioned belief of Destiny. You know...the whole 'Someone, Somewhere is made for you' story. Now I hear that science can make that happen literally? Technology has totally screwed up my life!"  
  
"Relax, Max. We cheated Manticore out of playing Cupid. Nobody cares about who you hook up with anymore."  
  
"No. I care! What if this means that if I...uh...have a kid with anybody but you, then it'll have a tail or fur or something? What if the hidden kitty-in-me emerges visibly in my descendants?"  
  
"You want kids?"  
  
"I'm talking theoretically."  
  
"You want kids!"  
  
"Maybe one day, when I'm older with more money...and have a lot less enemies...and can actually find another guy who's compatible with my DNA!"  
  
"Well, there were more than one breeding partners assigned to each of us. In case of death or...inability to perform."  
  
"I don't suppose you know who my other 'perfect matches' are, do you?"  
  
"Well...all the breeding assignments were posted up on the notice board."  
  
"You're kidding! Manticore had a 'Lonely Hearts' column? Who were your other partners?"  
  
"Nobody that you'd know. You were the only '09 escapee that I was paired off with."  
  
"Yeah, I remember how thrilled you were with the idea!"  
  
"Hey, I didn't want to catch anything."  
  
"Which is why you sleep with any woman you can get your hands on. STD regardless."  
  
"A guy in need, is a guy indeed."  
  
"Uggh. What about my other partners?"  
  
"It was me, X5-493..."  
  
"I was paired off with Ben?"  
  
"Well, he has the same DNA as me. Makes sense. But it gets better. Your third match was X5-599."  
  
Max looked like she wanted to throw up.  
  
"Zack? They wanted me to breed with ZACK?"  
  
"You know, when I met him...my guess was that he wouldn't have been too averse to the idea. But to your total non-delight, I was the only match available."  
  
"Shut up! This conversation is starting to sound worse than any horror story."  
  
"Is the idea of you and me so disgusting?"  
  
"I'm not going to answer that question, Alec."  
  
"Your favorite aversion tactic. Oh, before I forget. Under no circumstances are you to mate with the guy you called Krit."  
  
"Well, I wasn't exactly planning to, but why not?"  
  
"Your DNA is extremely similar to his. It would be the equivalent of in- breeding. You know - like mating with your real brother. Produces genetic mistakes in the offspring."  
  
"Thanks for sharing that charming detail with me Alec. Next time I see Krit, I'll let him know. But what I want to know is: Do you want children?"  
  
Alec laughed.  
  
"Can you imagine me as a dad?"  
  
Max thought about it for a moment.  
  
"Actually I can."  
  
"You can?"  
  
"Can you see me as a mother?"  
  
"I can see you strangling the kid. That is...if the poor mite isn't poisoned by your cooking first!"  
  
"Very funny. Should've known that you wouldn't be able to handle a serious conversation for too long."  
  
"If it makes you feel better, I doubt that any children you have will end up deformed. I mean, you said that your sister had a son."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And was he a freak?"  
  
"No...he looked totally human, and the only difference from normal children was that he was 'gifted'."  
  
"So you've got nothing to worry about...except maybe for that melted marshmellow on your face."  
  
"What? Where? Help me get it off!"  
  
Alec smiled and obliged because the next thing Max knew, his lips were brushing against hers.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~***~*~ *~*~*~  
  
A/N Well? Please review! OK, I've only just watched Proof of Purchase, but I'm aware that Max tells Alec about Ben in Hello, Goodbye. This is just my fictional version. 


	5. Negotiations

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there's somebody who's just what she needs. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
Chapter 5: Negotiations  
  
  
  
She broke the kiss apart, staring at him in shock.  
  
"Alec, what was that?"  
  
"I believe humans call it a 'kiss'."  
  
"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Why did you kiss me?"  
  
"Why'd you think, Max? Maybe I just wanted the marshmellow from your lips or... I could just be falling for you."  
  
"Don't fall in love with me, Alec."  
  
"I think it's too late for that warning."  
  
"You'll regret it."  
  
"I'll take my chances."  
  
"I've only just broken up with Logan."  
  
"And so you won't be cheating on anyone."  
  
"I'll be cheating on myself."  
  
"You don't want to be with me?"  
  
She sighed.  
  
"It's not that. I just want to enjoy being single again. No pressure, no commitments. I just want to have fun."  
  
"You can have fun with me!"  
  
"Alec! Don't make this difficult. All I want now is friendship."  
  
"Friendship?"  
  
"Yes. As in 'you watch my back, I watch yours'. Except that I know that you stare at mine!"  
  
"If you're gonna say that you've never stared at my...back, then you'd be lying through your teeth!"  
  
"OK, I'll admit it. It's a fine specimen, but I don't want that right now!"  
  
"If I agree to be 'just friends' for now, will you promise to not go out with anybody else."  
  
"It's a deal."  
  
" So what, are we like 'Best Buds' now?"  
  
"I think OC's already covered that ground. But something like that."  
  
"Whatever happens, Max, we'll stay together. Right?"  
  
"I think I can live with that."  
  
He extended his hand.  
  
"Friends?"  
  
"Friends!" she agreed, shaking it.  
  
"Good. Now do you want me to move in with you, or do you want to move in with me?"  
  
"ALEC!"  
  
"Hold on. Don't freak out on me! I've been thinking about this. If we live together, then we can keep an eye on eachother. With so many people hunting us down...it will be safer for us both."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Look. I could move in with you. OC will still be there, so you won't have anything to worry about. You're lacking an extra room, though. The better option would be for you to move in with me. Since I'm living with Joshua, you'd still be chaperoned. Plus, there's more than enough room at Sandman's house. What do you have to lose? It'll be the three of us looking after eachother."  
  
"You're always looking after me."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"That's because you always need looking after. You have a gift for finding trouble."  
  
"If I move in with you, you can't take that as a romantic gesture."  
  
"Trust me, Max! I'm willing to wait for you. But sooner is always better than later. No pressure."  
  
"I can't keep you on tenterhooks! It wouldn't be fair to you. I can't promise that I'll ever be ready."  
  
"You will be. But if you don't want me when you are ready, then...I'm a big boy. I can handle it."  
  
"I don't want to hurt you."  
  
"No matter what happens, I'll still be here to look out for you. You're not going to lose me. That's a promise. Manticore told us not to abandon our unit. And you and Joshua are my unit now. Just move in with us. Then we can get to know eachother more. We can even paint eachother's toenails!"  
  
"I'll consider it."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Promise."  
  
"Good. We'll have fun. Logan-less Max is a lot more cheerful than the bitch I once knew. No offence!"  
  
"I was quite the grouch, wasn't I?"  
  
"I have a lot of bruises to show for it. Wanna see?"  
  
"Poor Baby. And no thanks."  
  
"Sorry, Max, but you do pack quite a punch...even for a muscle bound Adonis like myself."  
  
"Get over yourself!"  
  
"Kidding. But you wouldn't find dating me...repulsive, right?"  
  
"Give it a rest! I'll think about it. When I'm ready."  
  
"Fine! Just asking!"  
  
"Alec, there's been something that I've been meaning to ask you,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need a favor."  
  
"Name it...does it have anything to do with relieving your stress at your next heat cycle? 'Coz I'm pretty good at massaging."  
  
"Alec, they fixed my heat cycle and my seizures back at Manticore. I think."  
  
"Oh, forgot. Damn! So what favor do you need."  
  
"Well I escaped from Manticore ten years before you."  
  
"Yeah...?"  
  
"So you've got ten more years of training than me."  
  
"You want me to teach you?"  
  
"Just the fighting stuff. I can do without the military crap."  
  
"OK. And since I'm being so generous, you can even have the last marshmellow."  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
And she leaned over and placed a big sloppy kiss on his cheek.  
  
"A kiss to seal our friendship" she said with a big grin.  
  
"I prefer to seal it like this." he whispered  
  
And he captured her mouth with his before she could move away.  
  
Max had read somewhere that if a man's kiss gets your blood up, it's probably going to be a happy relationship. And at the moment, her blood was definitely up.  
  
When he broke the kiss, she was dazed for a few seconds. She shook her head.  
  
"You still have to get the hang of this whole 'friendship' thing, don't you?"  
  
"I've never had female friends. Only lovers."  
  
"You've got a lot to learn."  
  
"You're gonna teach me."  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note (does any1 actually read these):  
  
I've mentioned this before, but I have no idea where this story is headed. I submit a chapter and then I take the next step from there. Who knows what will happen next? Half of my ideas kinda hit me in the middle of the night. "WHAM". It makes sleeping a little difficult. It doesn't help when I can't remember my brilliant revelations in the morning!  
  
I've noticed that most people like to read the stories which involve Max being in heat and have really umm...GRAPHICAL scenes. I'm 15. I can't write those to save my life. I can't even read them! Whenever I come across one of those scenes, I just scroll down until it's the morning after. So, basically...if you're wanting smut, you're NOT gonna get it. Just warning you so you're not dissapointed later.  
  
I was asked where do I live that I'm so behind in the season (Proof of Purchase). I'm from South Africa. Season 1 for us started on the 10 August 2001 and Season 2 started 22 March 2002. (See? I even remember the exact dates! How psycho is THAT?)  
  
Keep on reviewing! It really makes my day happier - which I especially need because my school holiday is almost over!  
  
SNIFF SNIFF! 


	6. Chasing Butterflies

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there's somebody who's just what she needs. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
Chapter 6: Chasing Butterflies  
  
  
  
"Max! Open up, already! You've been in there for over an hour!" shouted Alec as he banged furiously on the door.  
  
"Come on, Max! Some of us would like to use the bathroom...NOW!"  
  
"Keep your pants on!" said Max as she came out, hair dripping from the shower she had just taken.  
  
"New house rule. In the mornings, I get the bathroom first. I've been the gentleman long enough."  
  
"I've been here a week, and you're already regretting the invitation."  
  
"Is it too much to ask for a man to be able to relieve himself without the hassle of being locked out his bathroom?"  
  
"Is it too much to ask that you put the toilet seat down?"  
  
"Have you even left any warm water for me?  
  
"Who knows?"  
  
"Women!"  
  
"How you love 'em."  
  
Alec just glared daggers at her and hurried into the steaming bathroom.  
  
Max laughed and went into the kitchen to make coffee. Joshua was reading the newspaper.  
  
"Morning Joshua!"  
  
"Max!"  
  
"Want coffee?"Joshua shook his big furry head.  
  
"Look. Logan in the newspaper."  
  
Max was horrified, thinking that Eyes Only had been exposed. Instead there was a picture of Logan in a tuxedo at some important politician's dinner function. On his arm was Asha, dressed in a cocktail dress; and the smile they both gave the camera could have been used as a toothpaste commercial.  
  
"Nice to see him getting out. Although I'd love to know what he's doing at a politician's party."  
  
"Max misses Logan?"  
  
"No Joshua. We're still friends, so I haven't lost him. We're both happier this way. It's been so long since I've seen him smile like that."  
  
"Max also smiles more now. Max lot prettier when smiling."  
  
"Thanks Joshua!" and she gave him a big hug. He barked in appreciation.  
  
"Hey, don't I get a hug?" asked Alec from behind. He was only clad in a towel around his waist. As much as she'd never admit it, he did look scrumptious.  
  
"When you put some clothes on, maybe."  
  
He made a face and went off to change. Max laughed.  
  
"Alec make Max laugh. Alec good for Max."  
  
"He's a good friend."  
  
"Alec and Max getting busy. That's the plan."  
  
"Wha...Did Alec tell you that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Alec!" she yelled as she went to his bedroom. She opened the unlocked door.  
  
"Geez! Can you knock?" he said as he was putting on his T-shirt.  
  
"Are you trying to get Joshua to play Cupid?"  
  
He put on an innocent expression.  
  
"Why would you say that?"  
  
"He told me you're good for me and that you told him that you and me getting busy was the plan."  
  
He grimaced.  
  
"I may have mentioned something around those lines..."  
  
Max sighed, but had to control the urge to smile. She sat down on his bed.  
  
"You never give up, do you?"  
  
He sat down next to her.  
  
"Remember my New Year's Resolution?"  
  
"You were going to go after what you want."  
  
"I have every intention of getting it."  
  
"By hook or by crook?"  
  
"A little of both."  
  
"You know how you catch butterflies, Alec? You don't chase after it. You stay still, and let them come to you."  
  
"So, you're my butterfly?"  
  
"Give me a little more time, Alec. Please?"  
  
He leaned over, and she thought he was going to kiss her lips again. Instead he dropped a light kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Can I get that hug now?"  
  
  
  
A/N  
  
A short chapter, I know. But I thought it was sweet. And for once I even know what's going to happen in the next chapter. Or at least I have a vague outline. This MIGHT be my last chapter for a while, because school re- starts tomorrow. This whole story thus far's been written in the holiday, and maybe that was my muse. We'll see.  
  
Don't forget to review!Please? Thanks to everybody who review! They are all heartily appreciated!  
  
Oh, can I ask the reviewers to please tell me what it is about this story that they like. Just for my curiosity! 


	7. Milk and Cookies

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there's somebody who's just what she needs. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
Chapter 7: Milk and Cookies  
  
  
  
"Max! We've been through this! Rule number one: no hogging the bathroom! We agreed on that a month ago." There was no response.  
  
"Max! Come on, I'm not in the mood for this!" There was still silence.  
  
"I'm counting to 10, if you're not out, I'm coming in!" He heard the small crash of a bottle hitting the tiled floor.  
  
"Forget that, I'm coming in now!"  
  
He repeatedly rammed his shoulder against the door and soon the weak hinges gave way. Max lay in a shaking heap on the cold floor. She lifted her eyes to his and his heart broke as he saw the misery that engulfed her. He walked to her and lifted her up. He carried her over to her bedroom and set her gently down on her bed. Then he went back to the bathroom to retrieve the Tryptophan bottle that she had dropped. He sat down next to her and put his arm under her neck to lift her head gently until it rested against his shoulder. He placed some of the tablets into her mouth, and she dutifully swallowed. When he moved to help her put her head back onto the pillow, she whispered.  
  
"Let me sit like this."  
  
So he held her wracking form and stroked her hair until eventually the seizures became uncontrollable shivers.  
  
"How are you feeling now?"  
  
"Better. I thought that Manticore fixed this!"  
  
"Maybe they weren't finished with the treatment."  
  
"I was there for a whole three months."  
  
"It took about six months before my body became totally immune."  
  
"So, now it's back with a vengenance!"  
  
"Nothing a little Tryptophan can't fix, don't worry about it."  
  
"I've lived with this my whole life, Alec. I can manage to live with it again. I was just taken by surprise today, that's all."  
  
"You think they fixed the heat, 'cause that massage offer still holds."  
  
"Just shut up."  
  
"You want anything to eat?"  
  
"Can I have some milk?"  
  
"Sure. Can you sit up by yourself?"  
  
She nodded and he left to get what she asked for.  
  
He soon returned with a tall glass of warm milk and a chocolate-chip cookie. He continued to stand.  
  
"Alec?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For the milk and biscuit? No problem, just don't get crumbs on the sheet."  
  
"Thank you for helping me."  
  
"I told you that I'll look after you, Maxie. Besides, I was hardly going to leave you on the floor all vulnerable and sick, was I? Good thing that I got that Tryptophan in case of emergencies."  
  
"What would I do without you?"  
  
"I honestly don't know. Maybe you should get some sleep." She moved so that her head was resting on the pillow.  
  
"Don't leave me."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Come here." and she beckoned him forward. She moved to allow him space to sit. Which he did.  
  
"Take off your shoes."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just do it." He followed the orders.  
  
"Good. Now get inside."  
  
"Inside your bed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Max, as tempting as that sounds, I don't think that's such a good idea."  
  
"I'm not telling you to take off your pants, just...hold me. Please?"  
  
Even if he wasn't in love with her, there was no way that Alec could refuse. He got into the bed and put his arm around Max. She snuggled into his embrace.  
  
"Alec?" her voice was drowsy.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I think that you won't have to wait much longer."  
  
With that, she fell asleep.  
  
That night it was Alec who had trouble sleeping.  
  
  
  
A/N: Another short chapter to leave your'll impatient for them to get together. I'm getting there! It won't be too long until Max and Alec are an official couple! The reason that I'm dragging this, is because I want it to be as realistic as possible. I'm always reading stories in which they sleep together by the second chapter (mostly heat-induced), and being the romantic that I am, I want them to fall in love as old-fashioned-y as possible! I don't suppose you guys would let me get away with them only sleeping with eachother on their honeymoon, would you?  
  
OK. My 22 year old brother has just discovered this chapter and READ it. That sucks. If I valued his opinion on literature, I would take his remark of "What crap is this?" seriously. However, the fool hasn't touched a book (car magazines don't count) since he finished school, so, I'll live.  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!I love reviews, it makes me feel appreciated. The longer the review, the happier I am! 


	8. Memories

Title: Discovering Her Destiny : A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Alec, do you think that I'd give him to Max?  
  
Summary: Part 1 of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy. The prequel to "Tempting the Fates". Max realises that she's not meant to be with Logan, but there's somebody who's just what she needs. M/A  
  
Pairings: Max and Alec. If any two people were destined/designed to be together, it would be them.  
  
Setting: 2021-2022  
  
Spoilers: Anything and Everything from both the show's seasons can pop up somewhere. I have only just begun to watch Season 2 myself - Designate This aired on the 22 March, so if I'm not totally accurate; just know it's because I must've read the transcript wrong or something, and TELL me that it's wrong!  
  
Chapter 8: Memories  
  
A/N : Sorry that this took so long, I've been busy with school.  
  
  
  
They were in the lounge, sparring.  
  
"Good. You're learning fast. Let's take a breather."  
  
"In ten years, you haven't really learnt anything all that new from what I did."  
  
"I know. The fighting's pretty much the same. We just learnt how to use our abilities to their fullest potential. But most of the last ten years was training for missions and assinations."  
  
Max saw the sorrow enter his features and she put her hand on his.  
  
"You OK?"  
  
"Yeah, bad memories. That's all."  
  
"Don't think of the bad, just the good. It'll make you a happier person."  
  
"Nice to know that you started to listen to your own advice."  
  
"I never had any really happy memories. But now I do. I've got you to thank for that."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"You helped put Ben to rest. And a lot of my happier memories involve you."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"When you took me to the fairground for a treat, and when we went camping...eating melted marshmellows...when you hugged me; when you looked after me when I was sick and held me while I slept. And when you called me 'your butterfly'...those were definitely some of the nicer moments of my life."  
  
"Well, you give me something to smile about, too."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"All I have to do is remember that big sloppy kiss you gave my cheek in the woods, and I burst out laughing. And a Maxie in fuzzy robe and slippers about to go camping does make an endearing picture."  
  
She scowled at him.  
  
"Breaks over!"  
  
She punched out at him, and he quickly blocked. They went at it again and again: punching, kicking, blocking, lunging... until Max managed to swoop Alec off his feet onto the floor.  
  
She pounced on top of him, laughing in delight - until she realised what her position in relation to his suggested. She looked at his face and realised that he was very aware of it as well.  
  
"Max..."  
  
"Shh..." she silenced him.  
  
And she kissed him, full of all the emotions that she had kept hidden in her heart until this moment.  
  
When they pulled apart, she smiled at him.  
  
"I think I love you, Alec."  
  
"You do? That's nice to hear. Why?"  
  
"Because you stuck by me through thick and thin, and believe it or not...you can be pretty sweet when you feel like it."  
  
She swatted him.  
  
"Your turn!"  
  
"You know that I love you, Max. Because you're you. My tough 'lil Maxie. So you really want to give us a shot?"  
  
In answer, she kissed him again; the kiss deepening and deepening in passion; and just when it seemed that time had stopped and it was only the two of them left in the world...  
  
"Max! Little Fella! I found the teddy bear you were looking for!"  
  
The two lovebirds looked up in utter shock. They spoke in embarrased unison.  
  
"Joshua!" He was holding Kismet - the teddy bear that Alec had won for Max at the fair. He looked at them - at first perplexed, but then understanding shone in his puppy-dog eyes.  
  
"Max and Alec getting busy?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's EXTRA LONG Note:  
  
With that tiny, tiny chapter, I conclude Part 1of the "Discovering Her Destiny" Trilogy: 'A Dance with Death. A Date with Destiny.' Sorry that it was such a pathetic chapter, but I was losing patience...and no doubt so were you!  
  
I was comparing this fic to my other project "The Professional" and I realised that the reason I have absolutely no problem writing this story is because it has NO plot. Really, it doesn't! I told you guys at the beginning that I was taking it 1 chapter at a time that this was the story of how Max and Alec got together . That's pretty much all it is. No real angst or drama or even humor - just plain fluff. I feel so guilty that I've dragged you guys through all these chapters which have no real value, for absolutely nothing! It's so superficial that I'm a little ashamed of myself! It doesn't help that I'm struggling to come up with a credible storyline for "The Professional" which actually has a plot. The idiot that I am, I thought I'd discovered this great idea, wrote the first chapter, submitted it...and then realised that my original storyline-in-mind simply did not make sense. My muse has disappeared - I don't even get my midnight flashes of inspiration anymore!  
  
If you enjoyed this plot-less love story, you should read Part 2: 'Tempting the Fates'.(There's about 1 second worth of angst there.) I know that it says "The End" on the 3rd chapter, but I've decided to extend it. Then I'll move on to Part 3.  
  
I had the time of my life writing this, no matter how it turned out. School's re-started, so I don't have so much free time on my hands anymore. Judging by my less-than-brilliant marks, (Only high points were my 'A's' in English and History.) studying would probably be a really good idea. I hear it helps. I wouldn't know. I never study until the day of the examination. (Ask Sugi/Manticora/Little Fella - she knows about my total lack of studying!) And people wonder why I fail Biology! Please review, and I'd love it if I could get some feedback on what I should include in Part 3. Some help for "The Professional" would also be greatly appreciated! 


End file.
